Guilt Free Buckeyes (Peanut Butter Balls)

Great balls of peanut butter and dark chocolatey goodness on the way! This is our go-to low carb replacement for the ever popular traditional Christmastime buckeye candies. We love the flavors, but not the carbs, that comprise this treat. With 5 net carbs per ball, we can indulge a little all year round.  We also find the original version too sweet, so we reduced the sweetener in this recipe for a stronger peanut butter flavor. These are low in sugar with less calories and carbs than the original.

---

INGREDIENTS

Peanut Butter Filling

• 3/4 cup of creamy natural peanut butter (we use Jif)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 cup Confectioners Swerve
• 1 cup of powdered peanut butter / flour (we use PB&Me)

Chocolate Coating

• 5 ounces chocolate chips (we use Lily's Dark Chocolate Baking Chips)
• 1 tbsp of coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In the small bowl of a stand mixer, beat peanut butter and coconut oil together. Mix in vanilla. Add sweetener of choice and beat until incorporated.
2. Mix in powdered peanut butter a few tablespoons at a time until a rollable consistency is achieved. Taste test about half way through and again at the end to check for sweetness. Adjust up accordingly.
3. Roll the filling into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Chill in the freezer for 45 minutes to an hour.
4. If you have a double boiler, great! Otherwise, use a metal mixing bowl and a medium saucepan to create a double boiler. Fill saucepan halfway with water and heat to a simmer.
5. Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in the metal bowl. Take care not to get any water in the bowl, or the chocolate will seize and be unusable. Place the bowl over the saucepan and allow chocolate to melt. Once half melted, begin to stir. Continue stirring until fully melted. Once melted, turn the heat down to low. Leave the bowl over the saucepan to keep the chocolate warm and melted while dipping.
6. Submerge each ball as far as possible into the melted chocolate until fully covered, or leave the top third bare for a buckeye version. Place back on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in the refrigerator until chocolate coating hardens.
7. Once the chocolate is set, move the balls to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 2 months.

SPECIAL TIP

• Feel free to use less powdered peanut butter if you can. This ingredient is solely for the purpose of thickening the filling. The amount needed will depend entirely upon the brand and type of peanut butter used in the first step.

---

Nutrition Facts Servings: 45, Serv. size: 1 ball, Amount per serving: Calories 54, Total Fat 5g (7% DV), Sat. Fat 2g (11% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholest. 0mg, (0% DV), Sodium 11mg, (0% DV), Total Carb. 6g (2% DV), Fiber 1g (5% DV), Total Sugars 1g, Protein 2g.